This is a rare late Victorian Officer's helmet of the 1st Life Guards circa 1898. The skull is of German silver decorated with sprays of gilt laurel and oak leaves. The front has a gilt helmet plate with a diamond cut 12 point silvered star with a gilded Order of the Garter oval with a blue translucent enamel background. Inside the oval is a red translucent enamel cross. There is an enormous Victorian crown at the top. Gilt Tudor rose ear bosses suspend a gilded velvet backed chin chain. At the top of the helmet is a silver and gilt plume holder with a gilded eight point star base. The plume is of white horse hair. The front peak is lined in green skived leather and the rear peak has tan leather. The helmet is lined in a pleated crimson silk. With a storage tin with a brass nameplate inscribed "R.M. Biddulph Esq./1st Life Guards" in script.

Fine, the skull and peaks have a bright appearance with strong traces of original silver in and around the protected areas. The gilt components show moderate finish wear on the high edges. The plume has some noticeably shorter hairs at the top and the rosette is absent from the top. The interior has some light wear and some small stains. Storage tin is good with a number of dents and moderate finish loss.